## Who Was the First Indian to Travel to Europe?
The first Indian to travel to Europe was a Buddhist monk named Dharmapala. He was born in the Nalanda region of India in the 5th century CE. In 470 CE, he set out on a journey to China to study Buddhism. Along the way, he visited Sri Lanka, Burma, and Java. In 480 CE, he arrived in Guangzhou, China.
Dharmapala spent several years in China, studying Buddhism and translating Buddhist texts into Chinese. He also met with the Chinese emperor, Wu of Liang, who was a patron of Buddhism. In 499 CE, Dharmapala left China and returned to India.
On his way back to India, Dharmapala stopped in Sri Lanka. He spent several months there, teaching Buddhism and ordaining new monks. In 502 CE, he left Sri Lanka and sailed for India.
Dharmapala’s ship was blown off course by a storm and ended up in the Red Sea. He landed in Egypt and was taken to Alexandria. Alexandria was a major center of learning in the Roman Empire, and Dharmapala spent several months there, studying Greek philosophy and science.
In 506 CE, Dharmapala left Alexandria and traveled to Constantinople. Constantinople was the capital of the Roman Empire, and Dharmapala was the first Indian to visit the city. He met with the emperor, Justinian I, who was also a patron of Buddhism.
Dharmapala spent several years in Constantinople, teaching Buddhism and translating Buddhist texts into Greek. He also met with other Buddhist monks from India and China. In 512 CE, he left Constantinople and returned to India.
Dharmapala’s journey to Europe was a significant event in the history of Buddhism. He was the first Indian to visit Europe, and he played an important role in the spread of Buddhism to the West.
### Other Early Indian Travelers to Europe
Dharmapala was not the only Indian to travel to Europe in ancient times. Other early Indian travelers to Europe include:
* **Fa Xian** (337-422 CE): A Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India in 399 CE. He spent six years in India, studying Buddhism and collecting Buddhist scriptures. In 414 CE, he returned to China and translated the Buddhist scriptures he had collected into Chinese.
* **Xuan Zang** (602-664 CE): A Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India in 629 CE. He spent 17 years in India, studying Buddhism and collecting Buddhist scriptures. In 645 CE, he returned to China and translated the Buddhist scriptures he had collected into Chinese.
* **I-tsing** (635-713 CE): A Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India in 671 CE. He spent 10 years in India, studying Buddhism and collecting Buddhist scriptures. In 685 CE, he returned to China and translated the Buddhist scriptures he had collected into Chinese.
These early Indian travelers to Europe played an important role in the spread of Buddhism to the West. They translated Buddhist scriptures into Chinese and Greek, and they taught Buddhism to people in Europe.
### Conclusion
The first Indian to travel to Europe was Dharmapala, a Buddhist monk who traveled to Europe in the 5th century CE. Dharmapala played an important role in the spread of Buddhism to the West. He was the first Indian to visit Europe, and he met with some of the most important people in the Roman Empire. He also translated Buddhist scriptures into Greek and taught Buddhism to people in Europe.
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